


Up and Up

by stand_by_me



Series: Clack Week 2016 [5]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: (it's at the end if that's not your thing), Cloud is badass at hiking, Established Relationship, Fireworks, M/M, Marriage Proposal, birthday hiking trip, hardcore sappiness, mild ankle injury, smut under the stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-08 02:49:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7740517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stand_by_me/pseuds/stand_by_me
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack has everything ready to go - the location, the food, the hiking...the ring.  There are a few bumps along the way, and the type of nerves one can usually expect, but Cloud's birthday turns out to be a memorable one for both of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Up and Up

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, of all the things I wrote for Clack Week, this one's my favorite. I hope you guys like it, too. Just an fyi: the location is somewhat based off my childhood memories of Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Morning sunlight peeked through the blinds as Zack opened his eyes, burrowing further into the blankets. _Today’s gonna be a big day._

A sleepy kiss on his cheek told him his lovely boyfriend had woken up. “Morning, babe,” Cloud said, snuggling up to him.

“Happy birthday,” Zack u, putting his arm around Cloud’s back to see if it would earn him another kiss. It did. _Works every time._

“Woo, another year older,” Cloud said, far too sarcastically. “So exciting.”

“How does twenty-five feel?” Zack asked. “I forgot, I passed that one up already.”

“I don’t feel any different,” Cloud said, tangling their legs together. _Hopefully, that’ll change by the end of the day._ “At least this year it’s on a Saturday.”

 _I can’t wait to see his reaction…I spent enough time planning this._ “What if I told you I got admission passes to Adamantite Mountain?” Zack asked.

Cloud sat straight up and brushed his hair back with both hands, giving Zack a great view of his gorgeous back. “No fucking way. Are you serious?”

“No, I’m joking, I would never do such a thing in the most important day of the year,” Zack deadpanned, but his poker face broke when Cloud pinched him near the armpit. “Yes, I’m serious! I know how you love your hiking, mountain man.”

“It’s an amazing gift, I love you,” Cloud said, kissing him on the mouth this time. _Score_. “But we should probably leave soon if we want to find a parking spot.”

“I kind of wanted to fool around this morning,” Zack admitted, toying with the hem of Cloud’s shorts. “Birthday sex being a thing and all…”

“Mountain’s more important,” Cloud said, swatting his hands away. “ _Definitely_ up for some of that later, though.”

Breakfast wasn’t anything special – Zack could make a mean omelet on the worst of days, and he did so as Cloud got ready, humming some Duran Duran song he’d forgotten the title of. _Ham, bacon, cheese, tomato, and I’m hungry like the wooolf…boom, perfect. I wonder if I could cut it into the shape of a heart…um, I guess not. I’ll eat this one._

Cloud walked into the kitchen ten minutes later in one of those black zip-up tanks he loved to wear (and Zack loved to see him wear), holding a little gift-wrapped box. _Oh shit, he wasn’t supposed to find that!_ “Is this for me?” he asked, holding it a safe distance away from his body like it was part of a showcase. _It kind of is._

“Yes, but can you open it later?” Zack asked. “They do this light show on the side of the mountain…” _I want it to be super romantic._

“No problem,” Cloud said, tossing the box across the kitchen and _holy shit that box is worth more than the last three months’ rent on this apartment_. Zack caught it with surprising grace, pocketing it for later. _I gotta put this somewhere safe._

Zack wolfed down his omelet and went to the bedroom, digging in the closet for the backpack he’d used in college. _I could offer to carry our stuff…that’d be a good excuse to keep the gift safe._ He shoved a spare shirt and the usual necessities in the bottom, leaving plenty of room for snacks and water.

“Sunscreen!” Cloud shouted from the kitchen, right on time. Zack always forgot to grab it in his rush to get sun.

He turned to the closet after packing the sunscreen, realizing he was putting way too much thought into his clothing choice but too invested to stop. _Big day, bigger night…someone’s bound to take pictures. So I probably shouldn’t wear that ratty old thing…wait, how did one of Dad’s polos even get in here?_

In the end, Zack settled on a simple blue button-up with shorts. _It’s not gonna be that hot today, even if it’s August. And I gotta be classy when I go and do it._

“Looking good,” Cloud said as he rejoined him in the kitchen, backpack in hand. “Really good. I’m almost sad it’s time to hit the road…”

“Hey, it’ll be fun. Warm weather, good hiking, beautiful scenery,” Zack said, putting a couple water bottles in the backpack.

“And no snow this time,” Cloud added, laughing.

 _I’ll never forget that blizzard, no matter how awful it was. I met you, and my life is so much better because of it._ “Motorcycle or truck?”

“Hmm…truck,” Cloud decided.

“Whoa, mixing it up on your birthday, huh?”

“We could lay out a blanket and watch the light show from the back,” Cloud said, an excellent idea if Zack had ever heard one. “Now come on, we’ve got a mountain to climb.”

———————————

The drive up was a fairly peaceful one. Cloud drove and Zack jammed to the radio, looking out the windows and taking in the hilly terrain. _He keeps saying I’m like a dog, with the way I ride in cars. Well, I’m gonna own it._

“What’s that big carving on the side of the mountain?” Cloud asked as they drove around towards the entrance.

“It’s a memorial to the Wutai generals from the war with Midgar,” Zack said. “It took _ages_ to finish, with the Shinra Empire only falling a few hundred years ago and all that.”

“Looks cool,” Cloud said, pulling into the parking lot. “The light show is there, isn’t it?”

“Sharp as a spike, Spike,” Zack said, and Cloud frowned at him as he looked for a spot. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about having trouble parking.”

“We’ll have a bit of a walk to the entrance, but we’re here to hike anyway,” Cloud said, pulling into a spot near the back of the lot. “Can you do my sunscreen, babe?”

“Gladly,” Zack said, squeezing a coin-sized amount onto his palms and getting to work on Cloud’s shoulders, giving him a little birthday massage along the way. Next were his arms, then his neck, and finally his face.

“There’s a little extra stuck on your lip, let me get that off for you,” Zack said, and Cloud laughed into his mouth as he kissed him, long and deep. _He’ll say yes, he’ll totally say yes. I shouldn’t be freaking out about this_.

“Is my sunscreen up to your standards?” Cloud asked, waggling his eyebrows in invitation for another kiss. Zack obliged.

The line for admission was short despite the full parking lot – it would seem most hikers got an earlier start than they did. Oh, well. It wasn’t like they were in a rush.

“We could walk around the base of the mountain, but that would take all day,” Zack said, looking at the park map. “Or we could go up. It looks like there are a few different paths.”

“Let’s take that one,” Cloud said, pointing to what looked like the most difficult trail on the map. “We can take the easier path down or something if you get tired.”

 _That gondola thing on the map might be a good place to ask…no, it’ll be better with all the fireworks in the background._ “Sounds good.”

Despite being the most challenging path up the mountain, they were far from being the only hikers on the trail. Cloud took his hand (and the lead), while Zack followed behind and took photos with his free hand. A particularly nice-looking pine. The view of the summit ahead. The back of Cloud’s head. _I want us to look back on this day in the years to come, and remember how much fun it was._

“Zack, stop taking pictures of my butt,” Cloud deadpanned, not even looking back.

“I swear, on my life, I wasn’t taking pictures of your butt,” Zack said, suppressing his laughter. “…But I might now.”

“That’s it, I’m confiscating the camera,” Cloud said, reaching over. “You’re gonna settle down and enjoy our hike together, damn it.”

Zack held the camera above his head, out of Cloud’s reach, and relished in his boyfriend’s pouty look. “Fine, fine, I surrender,” he said, putting it back in the backpack. “But we’re taking so many pictures when we reach the top.”

“Deal, babe,” Cloud said, giving Zack’s hand a squeeze. “How about you walk next to me instead of behind me?”

The next leg of their journey was filled with laughter, their usual banter bouncing off the rocks around them. Cloud was funny, he was smart, he was passionate about the things that he loved, and every word reminded Zack why he’d fallen so hard in the first place. _There’s no doubt in my heart, he’s the one._

Up ahead, Zack could hear two girls bickering about something. “I told you, the signs all said it’s pink granite!” the older girl said, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

“I don’t believe you, the rocks don’t look pink!” the younger girl said, a redhead. _They can’t be any older than six…what cute kids. Where are their parents, though?_

“Maybe you’d believe me if you could read!” the older girl countered, hands on her hips.

“Hey, no fair! It’s not my fault you’re three years older!”

Cloud snickered next to him, obviously just as amused by the kids as he was. “I’ve got this,” he said, walking towards them.

Zack watched as Cloud explained the mountain’s geology to the girls, clarifying that while _technically_ the mountain was, in fact, pink granite, it would be more accurate to say that it was composed of _quartz monzonite_. Zack was riveted.

“Quartz is the crystal-looking rock, right?” the older girl asked.

“You bet,” Cloud said, standing up from his crouched position. “Oh, are your parents nearby?”

“Our daddy told us to wait right here while he got the…cheese machine?” the younger girl said.

“The camera,” the older girl clarified. “He’ll be back soon, I think.”

The younger girl’s eyes moved towards Zack, and her expression became decidedly mischievous. “What kind of rock is the dopey-looking man over there?” _I don’t look dopey…okay, I probably look a little dopey_.

“That, young lady, is called the ‘boyfriend rock,’ and he’s a little too old for you,” Cloud said, smiling when both girls fell into a fit of giggles.

Zack could imagine them here again in a few months, on a celebratory camping trip. Cloud would teach him everything there was to know about the mountain after being on it twice. _Maybe he’ll want to go to the beach instead, for me. Wait, I hear there’s a new treehouse hotel near Gongaga…yes, that’s where I want to go. Maybe we could visit Nibelheim along the way._

They waved the girls goodbye and continued up the mountain, stopping for water a few times. The views were breathtaking – all of nearby Kalm was visible just halfway there, and Zack got the feeling the Midgar metro area would be in view once they reached the summit. Zack could tell that Cloud was having a great time, and he was glad he picked a good place to celebrate his best friend’s birthday.

“Watch your step, things look a bit rocky from here on out,” Cloud said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“This is a mountain. Isn’t all of it rocky?” Zack asked with a shit-eating grin.

“Smartass. Seriously, though, I don’t want you falling off the mountain. It’d ruin the mood later,” Cloud said, choosing not to explain that decidedly strange comment.

 _I agree, though. It’d definitely ruin the mood if I couldn’t do this properly because I broke my leg or something._ Zack jogged up to the next set of rock ledges, reading the sign. “Spike, it says this part of the path is dangerous.”

“You don’t wanna go for it?” Cloud asked, and Zack couldn’t say no to the pleading look in his eyes.

“Let’s do it,” Zack said, taking the first steps up the more treacherous path.

———————————

The exercise and the great photo opportunities made the harder trail more than worth it, but Zack was so focused on keeping the backpack safe, he didn’t notice the loose rock in front of him until it was too late.

With a sharp yell and a sharper pain, Zack fell through the cracks, his ankle on fire. _Well, now I’ve done it._

“Oh my god, Zack, are you okay?!” Cloud asked, running over to help him up.

“I…I don’t know?” Zack said honestly. “I’m definitely not dying, but…” _I could have broken something…fuck, it hurts._

It took a few minutes to pull him out without further injuring his leg, Cloud doing most of the work. A bird flew and perched on Zack’s head for a moment during the commotion, which Cloud found hilarious. It was usually his boyfriend who ended up as a birds’ nest.

Eventually, they got Zack out of the crack and sitting on a sturdier rock, wincing at the pain in his ankle. “Try putting weight on it,” Cloud suggested.

“Okay, ah – nope, not happening,” Zack said, grimacing. “I’m sorry, I ruined the climb…”

Cloud whacked him on the shoulder, shaking his head. “No, you didn’t! You just made it a challenge run, that’s all. I’ll carry you the rest of the way, then we can get a helicopter to the hospital if we need to. You’re gonna be fine.”

 _No, we gotta stay for the light show! I can’t…I’m not gonna propose from a hospital bed. I have to be okay._ “We can’t leave the backpack.”

“We won’t. You wear the backpack, then get on my back,” Cloud said, crouching down as though that would make it a more possible maneuver.

“Uh, Spike, I don’t think I can manage that,” Zack said, shaking his head.

“What happened to college athlete Zack? You were the star vaulter! Just jump with one leg!”

 _Jump with one leg? I guess I can give that a shot._ “You sure have a lot of faith in me.”

“Of course I do,” Cloud said, and something in his tone grounded Zack. _Cloud believes I can do this. I can do this._

“Alright,” Zack said, preparing his good leg. “One…two…three!”

He barely made it, latching onto Cloud’s waist, the impact causing his boyfriend to lurch forward with a grunt. “See, I told you it would work,” Cloud said, hooking both arms under Zack’s legs. “The pavilion can’t be that far from here.”

It really wasn’t, maybe another fifteen minutes at the most, long enough for the pain in Zack’s ankle to fade to a low burn. But he could tell Cloud was getting tired. “How’re you doing?” he asked over his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“I’m good, just a bit thirsty. But you’re the one who’s hurt! Are _you_ okay?”

Zack buried his face in the fabric of Cloud’s collar, catching the scent of his sunscreen, his sweat, a bit of his shampoo. “I’m gonna be fine.”

Cloud asked for help in opening the door to the pavilion, and if was another minute at most before he was in a first-aid office.

“I need help with my backpack,” Cloud said, pointing at Zack with a grin that was just for him. _Hehehe_.

The nurse had Zack sit in one chair and put his foot on the other, and the elevation felt incredibly good. “How’s the ankle feeling?” she asked, a woman with a blonde ponytail and a nametag that read _Rosa_. “Can you put weight on it?”

He attempted standing, Cloud holding his waist for support, and Zack was relieved that he didn’t immediately collapse. “A little, ma’am. But I probably can’t walk down.”

“I agree, you boys should take the gondola down,” Rosa said, examining Zack’s ankle with a practiced eye. “I’m not a doctor, but I wouldn’t say this is anything worse than a sprain. You’ll be fine with some rest and some ice – I have some ice packs, you can wear one while your friend gets you lunch.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Cloud said, leaving the room with one last lingering touch on Zack’s waist.

“Tell me, what caused you to be so careless on the way up?” Rosa asked. “Your friend looks like he knows what he’s doing…I’d like to think it wasn’t just youthful stupidity.”

“It’s his birthday, and I’ve got a present in the backpack,” Zack said. “I just didn’t want to lose it…I wasn’t paying enough attention to the trail.”

“Material possessions can be replaced,” Rosa said. “Your safety should be a higher priority.”

 _Do I tell her? I guess it might help her understand the situation better_. “It’s a ring…I was going to propose tonight.”

Rosa’s mouth formed into a little ‘o’ as she nodded, understanding. “I think you can still find a way to do it right,” she said kindly. “It took my husband, the sentimental lug, forever to propose – I almost did it myself, in the end. You picked a good place for it, too.”

Zack laughed and looked at his left hand, thinking about how it would look with a wedding band. “Cloud – my boyfriend – he’s from an old Nibel family, they have this wolf crest that they pass down,” he said. “I took a basic wedding band to a friend of mine and asked him to add the crest to it, with two tiny diamonds for the eyes.” _It cost a leg and a half, especially with trying to keep him from letting the cat out of the bag. But it’ll all be worth it._

“That sounds delightful,” Rosa said, which seemed a bit odd until Zack turned around and saw Cloud walking into the room. _Nice save, Rosa._

“I got us a table by the windows,” Cloud said, holding out an arm to help Zack up. “Uh, Rosa, you wouldn’t happen to have some sort of brace lying around, would you?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got just the thing,” she said, reaching into a cabinet. “You can just keep this, okay?”

She and Cloud got the brace to fit around Zack’s sneaker without too much trouble, but it was still only with help that he stood up, arm around Cloud’s shoulders for support. “Thank you, Rosa.”

“You’re very welcome,” she said. “Enjoy your time at the park. And good luck!”

Cloud guided them over to the table he’d picked, a little booth by the bathrooms. “It was nice of her to wish you luck with the ankle…you need to go?”

 _I need to go get my courage up so I can ask you to marry me, yes._ “I can make it myself,” Zack said, testing the waters with the bad leg. “I’ll just hug the wall.”

“That’s stupid, I can help you,” Cloud said, setting the backpack down. “It’s no problem, I’m here for you.”

 _How about we don’t leave the backpack here where people can steal it?_ “Let me do this, okay? Grab us some lunch while I’m gone.”

Cloud shrugged, defeated. “Fine, but if you slip and fall…please don’t make me worry too much.”

Zack hobbled to the bathroom, taking out his phone and dialing the one person (other than the one he was proposing to) who he knew could help calm his nerves. “Aerith, hi.”

“Hi? Zack? It’s been a while, what’s up?”

He cleared his throat, looking at his reflection in the mirror. _I still look good, if a bit greasy from the fall_. “I’m, uh, gonna propose to Cloud tonight.”

“ _Really?!_ Congratulations in advance! My little Zacky’s all grown up,” Aerith said, giggling. “You sound worried…seriously, don’t be. He’s absolutely crazy about you, has been since you started dating, and it’s been what, three years now? I’m honestly surprised he hasn’t popped the question himself.”

Zack let out a breath, willing himself to calm down. _It’s fine, everything is fine, it’s all under control and I’ll be engaged before the night is out_. “Thanks, Aerith,” he said. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“I think I do, actually,” she said. “Remember the day you asked him out the first time? You literally came to my apartment and cried beforehand.”

“I was hungover, okay? But seriously, thanks.”

“No problem. I’ll always help you, remember? Now go spend the day with Cloud! It’s his birthday, isn’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Zack said, hanging up. _I’m ready._

———————————

Cloud made sure to take his medication before boarding the gondola, pulling it out of the backpack.. Zack caught a little glimpse of the gift box while he was at it, blue wrapping paper with little clouds painted on. _I can never resist that particular gift wrap_.

“Man, I wish you didn’t have such bad motion sickness,” Zack said as he hobbled on, still holding Cloud’s hand for support.

“I know you do,” Cloud said, laughing. “Remember our first anniversary?”

“I’m sorry, I thought maybe you could do roller coasters, just not the spinning rides!” Zack protested. _He never lets me forget that. Well, I’ll be sure to a better job on our next first anniversary_.

Cloud waited until the gondola was on its way down, then scooted over to Zack’s seat, kissing his shoulder. “They said the ride down would take about fifteen minutes.”

“But the _sights_ , Cloud,” Zack said jokingly, just as his boyfriend pulled him in for a long, lingering kiss.

Every movement of lips and tongue said _I’m taking my time with this, Zack. Because it’s my birthday, because this whole gondola thing is super romantic, and because I’m distracting you so I can slide something into your pocket_.

“Whoa, what’s this?” Zack asked once their mouths separated.

“That’s your present, duh,” Cloud said, patting him on the hip.

“But it’s _your_ birthday.”

“This has nothing to do with that,” Cloud insisted. “It’s cause you’re amazing and I love you. That’s all.”

“I love you too,” Zack said, taking the gift out. It was a little silver pouch, filled with what felt like tissue paper… _probably to hide whatever it actually is_.

Cloud entwined their fingers and rested the sides of their heads together. “I want you to open yours during the light show,” he said. _Oh man, oh boy._

“You gotta open yours first,” Zack said. “Promise.”

Cloud gave him a long, drawn-out sigh. “Fiiiiine, I’ll open mine first. But I really wanna see your reaction to what’s in the pouch.” _What is it? Money? Foreign candy? An inferno fang?_

There was a chorus of “kweh’s,” and Zack looked out the side of the gondola to see a group of chocobos running down the mountain. “I didn’t know your family was here, Cloud,” Zack said.

“Wow, thanks,” Cloud said, brushing off the teasing. _He knows I love his hair, even if it does look like a chocobo_. “What do you call a group of those, anyway?”

“A gaggle, like geese?” Zack offered.

“A herd…? But they’re birds,” Cloud said. “It rhymes, that’s gotta count for something.”

“A gang.”

“A flock.”

“Maybe…a chimney? A chimney of chocobos?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Cloud said as he leaned back and looked out the window, letting Zack toy with his hands. _You’ve got really nice hands, you know that, Spike? They’re warm and firm and handle everything with such care. I love them. I love you. So much…_

The end of the gondola ride came all too soon, and it was with somewhat less difficulty that Zack got out of it, ready for the evening.

———————————

“I bought a couple sandwiches and some glow sticks,” Cloud said, returning to the car. “Do we need anything else?”

 _Well, I’m having cupcakes delivered to our spot, and I already got permission from the park manager to hang out on the other side of the road…man, she was so into the whole proposal idea_. “No, I think we’re good.”

Cloud cranked the ignition and drove out of the parking lot, back the way they came. Zack rummaged around in the backpack to make sure the ring was still there, sighing when he found it.

“Something wrong?” Cloud asked.

“Just checking to make sure your gift is still there,” Zack admitted.

“Yours still in your pocket, babe?”

“Yeah,” Zack said, patting the spot to prove it.

Cloud seemed happy with that, pulling over and turning the truck so the bed was facing the side of the mountain. “This good?”

“ _Perfect_ ,” Zack said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Did we bring blankets?”

“Yeah. There are some citronella candles in the back, too.”

“Did I mention I love you?”

“Once or twice,” Cloud said, lighting the candles and placing around the bed of the truck. “Hey, is it okay for us to be hanging out back here? Park rules and whatnot?”

Zack grinned as he laid out the blankets. _Oh, there’s a pillow back here, too. Fantastic._ “The park manager said it was cool.”

“Wow, what strings did you have to pull for that one?” Cloud asked, handing him one of the sandwiches and a water bottle from the backpack.

 _I told her I was gonna ask you to marry me, no big deal_. “I milked the birthday card for all it was worth. And promised to take good pictures.”

Cloud looked skeptical at that, which was hilarious as he was halfway through a bite of sandwich. “…Of what?”

“You opening your present,” Zack answered, biting into his own sandwich. _Mmm…that’s good honey mustard. We’re definitely coming back here._

An announcement tone sounded, and it was easy to hear what was being said, even as far back as they were. “Attention, park guests. The light show and historical presentation will begin at sunset, in approximately fifteen minutes. Fireworks will be used, so please maintain a safe distance from the memorial carving.”

Cloud set his water bottle down. “Historical presentation?”

“I guess they’re gonna tell us about Wutai,” Zack said, taking out his phone to look it up. “The woman in the center is General Kisaragi – ‘the white rose,’ she was called.”

“Oh, I remember her,” Cloud said. “I had to write a whole essay on her for that national standardized test, the one they keep changing the name of. She’s the one who personally disrupted Midgar’s supply lines with a squad of pickpockets, right?”

“And they say she did most of the thieving herself,” Zack said. “What a badass.”

Cloud snorted. “Who’s the guy on the right?”

The quarter hour before the show went by far too quickly, with Zack telling Cloud everything he could find on the statue, and his boyfriend drinking it all in, appreciating the information the same way he cherished everything else. _God, I’m so in love it’s embarrassing_.

“I think the show’s starting,” Zack said, taking out the glow sticks. “Time to light these up?“

Right on time – the light show started just as Zack put his around his neck, purple to match Cloud’s yellow.

If Zack was being totally honest with himself, he wasn’t watching the show as much as he was watching Cloud watch the show. He was on the edge of his seat (metaphorically..in reality he was snuggled up against Zack’s side. It was very cozy).

The minutes passed, and the look in Cloud’s eyes grew more and more expectant. The light show ended with a flourish of red and blue, and it was announced that the firework crew was experiencing technical difficulties. _So much for a fireworks proposal_.

“Aw, I was hoping to see the fireworks,” Cloud said, scooting away from Zack.

“They might work it out soon,” Zack said. _I hope they do…that would be fantastic._

Cloud moved to sit across from him, looking like a dream, and Zack decided it was now or never. He had just grasped the box in the bag when a delivery horn honked. _Oh, I almost forgot about that part. Great timing._

“Um, is that for us?” Cloud asked, pointing to the rather confused-looking delivery girl.

“Cupcakes for a Mr. Zack Fair?” she asked, holding up a small box. “Red velvet with vanilla frosting?”

“Yep, that’s me!” he said, and he made sure to give her a generous tip before she took off, heading towards the main parking lot. _There must have been other people with the same idea_. “I ordered us some cupcakes.”

“Yeah, I see that,” Cloud said with a laugh. “I can’t believe you got red velvet…”

“I had to shop around a bit before I found a baker who would do it _and_ deliver all the way out here,” Zack admitted, handing one of them to Cloud. “But I didn’t get a cake, so I figured…this was the next best thing.”

“You didn’t have to, Zack,” Cloud said. “This…coming here…even with your sprained ankle…what I’m trying to say is, being with you is better than any cake. That sounds so stupid when I say it out loud…you know what I mean.”

 _Well, I couldn’t ask for a better setup._ “You wanna open your present now?” Zack asked, handing him the box. _God, my heart is pounding so hard he can probably hear it._

“Sure…really? This wrapping paper again?”

“I’m sorry, I’m a dork,” Zack said. “Now open it.”

Cloud set the box down and took his hand. “How about…you open yours first?”

“Uh, no, you promised,” Zack said. _He figured it out, he wants an out…no, calm down. It’s gonna be fine_.

There was a quiet moment, one in which Cloud looked at the box from all angles before removing the wrapper at the pace of a snail, giving Zack room to talk.

“I just want to say…Cloud, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me. This has been a long time coming, and I…” _Deep breaths, Fair. You got this_. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Cloud let the last of the wrapping paper fall to the floor, taking a deep breath when he realized what was in the box. “Zack, I…open yours,” he said, looking at him expectantly.

 _What? Open yours? That’s not a yes or a no…was that a no?!_ “Cloud…”

“Just open it,” Cloud said, taking it out of his pocket and placing it in his hand, sitting there like a piece of the future.

Zack emptied the pouch into his hand and gasped as another ring fell out, a dark grey band with a silver stripe around the middle. _I can’t believe…I guess Aerith was onto something_.

“Guess we had the same idea, huh?” Cloud said, smiling. “That was my grandfather’s…a Strife family heirloom, I guess. And you…it has the wolf on it and everything…”

“I’m guessing this is a yes, then?” Zack asked, laughing.

“Yes, of course, yes!” Cloud said, sliding on his ring and lurching forward for a hug. _It looks perfect on you, Cloud…my future husband. Yeah, I like the sound of that._

Zack slid on his own ring and wasted no time in pulling Cloud close for a kiss, taking it in like it was the last one he would ever have. _Except now I’m his fiancé, and there are gonna be so many kisses._

Cloud wound his hands into Zack’s hair, guiding his head down to the truck bed and making sure to be gentle with his sprained ankle. “God, I love you so much,” Zack said between kisses, as Cloud straddled him and took control.

“I know,” he said, nibbling on Zack’s bottom lip like candy. “Did you bring the lube?”

“It’s in the bag,” Zack said, reaching for it with his left hand. “You wanna have sex right here?”

“I just got engaged, _and_ it’s my birthday,” Cloud said, sucking in a line down Zack’s neck and _yeah, I’m so on board with this._ “I want you to fuck me until I see stars.”

“We’re already outside, Spike…I’m looking at stars right now,” Zack said, unable to resist the pun despite how aroused the request was making him.

“I’m turning the car around,” Cloud said, actually jumping out of the back like some sort of spike-headed monkey. “I fully expect your shirt to be off when I come back.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” Zack said, getting to work as the truck made a very reckless turn around the clearing.

Cloud came back with his shirt already unzipped, tossing it to the bed of the truck as he slithered under Zack.

“How are you not dizzy?” Zack asked, making quick work of both their pants and sliding on a condom.

“I never said I wasn’t dizzy,” Cloud answered, yanking him down for a bruising kiss. _Damn, Spike, you’re really fired up._ “I just didn’t want to keep my fiancé waiting.”

“How…considerate of you,” Zack said, squirting a generous amount of lube onto his finger. _You’re doing the opposite of making me wait._ “Ready?”

“Just do it,” Cloud said, arching into him when he slid the first finger in. “Fuck…”

“Hold your chocobos, I’m getting to that,” Zack said, laughing as he placed a loving kiss on Cloud’s collarbone. _Fuck, you always look so beautiful like this…demanding more._

He prepped Cloud carefully, as he always did when he topped. Just the first finger, long enough to make Cloud beg, then adding a second, distracting from the stretch with a lot of attention to his neck and a few well-timed strokes of his dick. _I’ll take care of you, every time._

“How long…are you gonna…make me wait, babe?” Cloud groaned, wrapping a hand around Zack’s cock with practiced ease, touching him in all the ways he loved best.

“Hnnngg, not much longer if you keep that up,” Zack moaned, adding a third finger. He kept his concentration, despite Cloud driving him crazy with the sudden handjob, and it wasn’t long before he decided it was good enough. “Alright, I’m going in.”

“What are you… a hacker?” Cloud asked, hooking his legs over Zack’s shoulders.

“Yep, hacking into dat ass,” Zack said, licking a stripe of sweat off Cloud’s chest. “Dick in position. Transmitting in one…two…”

Cloud’s complaint at his terrible joke was lost in their joint moans of pleasure as Zack thrust in, relishing in how tight Cloud still was around him, even after having been together so long. _It’s always good, so good_.

Zack wanted to wait until he bottomed out to keep going, but Cloud poked his hip in impatience. “Just…go…”. _Whatever you say, Cloud_.

He went at the pace Cloud liked, just fast enough to keep him on edge, but still slow enough that Zack had time to do other things, like drink in his fiancé’s dazed look and leave messy kisses along his shoulders.

“Hey, Zack…the fireworks started…” Cloud said after a few minutes, nails digging into Zack’s back.

A moment of relative silence broken by the sound of gunfire proved it wasn’t just a pleasure-induced hallucination, and it was with one more well-timed thrust that Cloud came, his come splattering over their chests. _Every time…the sight of you like this is almost enough to push me over the edge._

Zack fucked him through the orgasm, his own coming not long after with a shout that any remaining park visitors surely heard. He might not have been facing the sky, but Zack saw stars anyway, glowing in Cloud’s eyes and around his chest. “Aaahhh…”

“Fuck…that was so good,” Cloud said, reaching for the corner of the blanket to wipe them off. Zack barely held himself up long enough to let him do it, and collapsed on top of Cloud as soon as the blanket was gone.

“You wore me out,” Zack said, rubbing Cloud’s hip in appreciation. “It was great sex, though.”

Cloud turned him over and pulled the cleaner part of the blanket over them so they weren’t so exposed. “So what are we gonna do for the wedding?”

“A vague question,” Zack mused, watching as the fireworks burst overhead in a galaxy of color. “I think if we asked your mom, she’d plan the whole thing herself and just ask us to show up.”

“Come on, that’s not fair,” Cloud said, putting a hand over Zack’s mouth to stop him from going for the pun. “I mean, for starters, what do you want to do about groomsmen and bridesmaids?”

“Neither of us is a bride,” Zack said. “Unless you want to wear a dress again?”

“That was one time,” Cloud protested. “I think Tifa might disown me if she doesn’t get to be a bridesmaid.”

Zack considered that point carefully – Tifa was a force to be reckoned with. “And I think Aerith would kill to be the maid of honor.”

“Marlene can be the flower girl,” Cloud said, admiring the wolf’s head on his ring. “Barret would really love that.”

“Okay, but here’s the most important question: when do you want to have it?” Zack asked.

Cloud reached over and stroked the side of his face, the scar he’d gotten long before they’d ever met. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’d run away and elope with you tonight if we didn’t have so many damn friends.”

“Yeah, curse our big social circle, it’s such a buzzkill,” Zack said jokingly, pulling Cloud in for cuddles. “We’ll figure it out, though. We have up to now.” _And we have the rest of our lives to figure out, too. But I’m not worried – everything is better when I’m with you, and that’s all that matters._

**Author's Note:**

> Dear lord, that smut was awful. I'm sorry. I'm pretty happy with how the rest of it turned out, though.
> 
> Tomorrow's fic is shorter and waaayyy less happy/sappy.


End file.
